Wire-drawing machine



J. W. LAUREN WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet l A r1116 W26. I

p 7 J. W. LAUREN WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Filed July 25, 2

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Il-l-l I-I-li M JOHN MA y April 6, 1926.. J. W. LAUREN WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Filed Jilly 25, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jaw ML/il/Rf/V April a, 1926. Y v 1,579,373

J. W. LAUREN WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 'Patented Apr. 6,, .19 26."

.UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE.

JOHN w. LAUREN, or swarms. rumors.

WIRE-DRAWING mcnmri.

Application filed July 25, 1922. Serial No. 577,839.

by declare that the following is a full, clear, 4

and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Thisinvent-ion relates to a wire drawing machine.

And it is an object of this invention to provide means for controlling the unwindingof the wire from the reels, to provide a novel' control. for the machine including means for automatically stopping the same when a wire breaks and to provide a novel system of reels and dies whereby two dies are usedin connection with each reeland to generally improve this type of machine.

With these and other objects in view which will become more apparent in-the following description and disclosures, this invention comprises the novel mechanism and combinations hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a. .preferred embodiment of this invention and in which similar reference numerals refer to'similar features in thedifferent views:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the wire drawing machine. v

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view through one form of reel involving my invention.

Figure 3 is'an enlarged sectional view substantially on'the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing parts in elevation.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view through a modified form of reel.

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view through the guide pulley and its support.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view; on the line 8-8 of Figure 4:.

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary ele vational view of certain controlling mecha-- nism. a

Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional view through the ma netic clutch ring substantially upon the line l0'10 of Figure 6.

Figure 11 is an enlarged sectional view of the releasable clutch-.-

In Figure 1 there is illustrated a wire drawing machine comprising a plurality of separate units, two units being shown; each one being susceptible of use independently of the other.

These units are supported upon a frame having afront wall 1 and a rear wall 2 Sllltr ably supported and provided upon their upper ends with inwardly directed flanges or ledges 3 and 4 for supporting the various mechanisms.

Each unit comprises two double reels and I two pairs of dies, so that description of one will correspond to the other. as they are substantial duplicates. Figure 5, it will be observed that a driving shaft 5 is suitably journalled in the frame and extends longitudinally therein; This shaft is geared to the different wire supporting reels of each unit. For this purpose, bevel gears 6 are keyed upon said shaft a In referring 'now to suitable distance apart according to the spacing .of the reels. -The gears 6 mesh with bevel gears 7 rotatably supported upon vertical shafts 1.2 rotatably. mounted in the socket bearings 8 upon the shafts 5. Disks 9 having hubs to which the gears 7 arekeyed are rotatably mounted upon the shafts 12. To the disks 9, the lower ends of springs 10 are attached which encircle drum members 11 freely supported by the disks 9. Each drum member 11 is keyed to the shaft 12 upon which a disk 13 is slidably. keyed. The

hub, of the disk 13 is engaged by a yoke lever 14 pivoted intermediate its end as at 15 and provided with a counter-weight 1.6 at one end and connected at its other end to a link 17. 1 The disk 9 of each gear 7 is provided with an upstanding lug 18 upon which a lever 19 is pivoted. The upper end of the lever 19 is provided with an adiustable screw or abutment 20 (Figure 3) that engages the disk 13. The hub or pivot end of the lever 19 is provided with a hook 21 or the like for engaging the upper end of the coil spring 10 which may be provided with a returned bent end for the purpose. It will be apparent that the disk 13 applies a downward force upon the lever 19 and thuswise maintains the coil 10 wound around the drum 11, and upon upwardly shifting the disk 13, the lever 19 will be swung upwardly by the coil spring whereby the end of the coil spring ma become disengaged from the hook21 or su ciently released to release the braking tension on the drum ll' so that the spring 11 will rotate idly around the drum.

The shafts 12 of the drums 11 extend a short distance above the top of the frame and through a transverse bearing 22 (Figure 3) for supporting the wire winding reels. Each unit has two double reels. The first reel of each unit is slightly different from the second reei in that it has provision for preventing the wire from being unnec-' essariiy unraveled therefrom. In the draw- .ings, I have illustrated two reels for accomplishing this pur ose. One form of such reel is illustrated in Figure 6 and comprlses a lower winding groove 23 and anupper drum portion 24 having a lower flange 25.v

An insulated ring 26 (Figure 10) forms the upper margin of the drum portion 24. This insulated ring has circumferentially spaced recesses extending inwardly from'the outer periphery in which coils 27 are positioned provided with ole pieces 28 separated circumferentially =y insulated projections 29.

The coils 27 are connected in series and are sup lied with electrical energy through the con. uctors 30 (Figure 6) extending from the ring 31 on the reel which is in contact with a ring 32 on the bearing 22 and which .is connected with some source of electrical energy. It will'be apparent that when the coils 27 are energized. the pole pieces 28 will be energized and become ma eticto retain the wire thereon except as it is necessary to lead the same to the third die.

The second form of reei for preventing unraveling of thewire as it is led therefrom is shown in Figure 2' and comprises a lower winding groove '23 and an upper drum portion 24" which is closed by -a dishedv shaped cover plate The shaft 12 that supports this reel extends through the cover plate for loosely supporting a bracket .34: The bracket 34 conforms to the contour of the plate and the outer end thereof is rovided with a downwardly inclined puley block 35 in which a grooved pulley or roller 36 is rotatably supported over which the wire upon the drum 24 is led and guided. As the wire tor the drum 24 is led to a vertical pulley thereabove, there will be no appreciable. vertical unraveling force imparted to the coil on the drum 24 of the machine.

and no tendency forthe coils to unravel or escape over the top of the reel since the grooved roller 36 is located beneath the upper margin of said drum. A spring 38 coiled about the shaft 12 bears upon the arm 34 and a nut 39 is threaded upon the upper end of the shaft and adjustably confines said spring.

Adjacent the first reel of each unit, upon the rear frame 2, a bracket 40 (Figure 3) is secured to whichavertical rod 41 is attached. A swinging bracket 42 is supported upon the upperend of said rod by moans of a collar 43. A depending recessed roller support 44 (Figure 7) rotatably mounted in the outer end of said bracket and a grooved roller 45 is rotatably mounted on the support 44 with a portion thereof extending into the recess thereof. The lower winner wali ot' the recess is bevelled at 46 for facilitating the passage of the wire into said recess and over said roller. The recessed roller block hence serves to guide and retain the wire on the roller 45. This roller 45 is situated a suitable distance above the first reel of each unit to receive and guide the wire to the third die.

The second reel of each unit is best shown in Figure 5. It is likewise provided with a lower wire winding groove 23 and an upper winding drum portion 24 with removable extension rods 47.

At a suitable point adjacent each reel of each unit is double die48 havin two aperturesof different diameter, one below the other and arranged with their axes tangentially to the reel. They will be referred to as the upper and lower die in this specification. A bracket 49 is secured adjacent each die and a guide roller 50 and guide arm 51 are supported upon said bracket 49 for guiding the wire through said dies.

Mechanism is provided for automatically stopping the rotation of the reels when a wire is broken or torn apart during the operation While various mechanism may devised for accomplishing this pur-' pose, I have illustrated one form which is best shown inFigures 8 and 9 in which a bell=crank lev? 52 is pivotally' supported upon a bracket upon the upper front ledge; one arm of said lever extending through a slot in the ledge 3 and provided with a bifurcated end through which a spring pressed rod 53 projects which is provided with a head 53 adapted for contacting the lever 52 for shifting the same. The rod 53 is slidably supported on a'bracket and is provided with a grooved roller 55 beyond said bracket. A coil spring 56 between the roller 55 and bracket tends to draw the head 53 againstthe lever 52. The other arm 52 of the bell-crank lever is normally positioned under-the nose of a latch dog 57 adapted for entering a notch 58 in a slidable 59 toward the left, but this action of the spring is normally resisted by the latch dog 57 which engages the notch in the bar-and holds the bar against longitudinal movement. W represents a wire in. contact with the roller 55 and pressing the rod 53 inwardly against the tension of the spring 56 to keep the head 53 clear of thelever 52. Should the wire W break at any time, the spring 56 will actuate the rod 53 toward-the left, the head 53* engaging the upper arm of the bell-crank lever and tilting or shifting the same for raising the dog 57 from its notch allowing the spring 60 to automatically shift bar 59 toward the left.

The shifting of the bar 59 towards the left effects the release of the spring clutches that connect the reels to the gears 7 in the following manner: The aforementioned links 17 are connected at their lower ends to crank arms 61 (Figure 5) which are rigidly secured upon rods 62suitably journalled in the frame and projecting through the front wall thereof. The outwardly projecting ends of saidrods have foot treadles 63 ri idly secured thereon, and vertically exten ing rods 64 fitting in sockets in said 'treadles are provided upon their upper ends with inwardly directed pins .or abutments 65 (Figure 3) which are normally positioned between projections or abutments 66 on the bar 59. It will be apparent that as the bar 59 is released and shifted by the spring 60, the abutments 66 to the right of said pins 65 will strike .the said pins and tilt the treadle rods 64 toward the left as viewed in Figure 1. As these rods 64 are thuswise tilted, the shafts62 will be rocked in an anti-clockwise direction, rotating the cranks 61 in an u ward direction, whereby the links 17 w1ll force the levers 14 upwardly for raising the disks 13 which will release the clutches as previously explained. It will be noted that each unit has a separate bar 59 and similar mechanism for operating the same.

.Mecha'nism has also been provided whereby the operatormay quickly stop the reels of all the units at any time in case of danger or injury or for any other cause from any position. To this end, the outer end of the arm 52 'proje'cts beyond the latch dog 57 into contact with a swingable actuator 67 pivoted at its lower end to the front of the frame and provided with an eye at its upper end through which a rod 68 passes. The rod 68 extends substantialliy co-extensive with the different units an is swingably supported at another point by means of a pivoted arm 69 similar to the actuator 67.

witlrthe end of the arm 52, latch 70 (Figure 8) pivoted to the frame and taking over the upper end of the'actuator hasbeen provided. It should be noted that the actuator is inclined with respectto the arm 52 and if the operator pushes inwardly upon the rod 68 at any point along its length,- the actuator 67 Will press inwardly and raise the arm 52* for elevating all the latch dogs 57 and releasing the clutch actuatmg bars 59- which as before described release the clutches of thereels.

In the operation of such a wire drawing unit as first described, the Wire stock which has been rolled from'billets andwliich has been sufliciently pointed for several feet or so is passed through the lower die adjacent the first reel and-wound around the first reel in the groove 23 or suitably secured thereto. The reel may then be rotated for drawing the wire through the lower die. When a number of turns have been wound in the groove 23, the pointed end of the wire may be removed from the reel and passed through the upper-die and around'the drum 24 of the, reel which will wind the wire thereon and thuswise draw it through-the second die for effecting the second reduction of the stock. The pointed endiof the wire which is '50. and through the upper die "and then wound around the upper reel drum 24", the rotation of which will draw the wire through the front or upper die adjacent said reel. The wire will be wound'upon the reel drum 24 and may be removed therefrom as usual. It will be appreciated that as the wire is wound around the upper reel drum of the first reel and led therefrom over the raised guide roller 45, there will be a tendency for one or more turns of wire to unravel or slip off the drum 24, but this is prevented in the use of the magnetic ring on the upper margin of the drum or by the roller 36 in the alternate construction shown in Figure 2.

In case the wire should'break, the rod 53 will be shifted .toward the left; the head 53 striking the lever'52 and raising the arm 52 for releasing the latch dog 57 and releasing the clutch actuating bar 59 which will rock. the treadle levers 64 and through the shafts 62, crank arms 61, links 17 and levers 14 raise the disks c 13 for.--releasing the reel In order to hold the actuator 67 in-contact clutches. In case the operator of a unit desires to stop the operation of the reels, it is only necessary to force the rod 68 inwardly whereby the actuator 67 will operate the levers 52 for releasing the latch dogs 57 when the above described operation'willbe repeated. 1

It will therefore be apparent that I have devised novel automatic mechanism for stopping the reels of a unit when a wire breaks or is severed, and have provided means whereby an operator may stop the reels of all the units at any time and have devised a system of double dies and reels whereby economy of space is secured and a compact unit results, and have prevented the wire from unraveling from the upper drum of the first reel.

It will also be apparent from the foregoing that as each loop of wire is taken from the reel block to the succeeding die that the wire will be twisted one turn thus eliminating an undue wear on one side of the wire and a consequent imperfect product.

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be, varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. In a wire drawing machine, a bench, a plurality of .wire drawing units supported upon said bench, driving mechanism for each unit comprising a releasable clutching element, means automatically actuated by the breaking of a wire for declutching said element, and manually actuated means for simultaneously declutching all the units.

2. In a wire drawing machine, a bench, a plurality of wire drawing units supported upon said bench, driving mechanism for each unit comprising releasable clutching mechanism, a spring impelled member at each unit connected to said mechanism, releasable means for normally holding each member in clutching position, and a device automatically actuated by a breaking of a wire for releasing said means.

3. In a wire drawing machine, a plurality of wire drawing units, driving mechanism for each unit comprising a releasable clutching element, a spring impelled member at each unit connected to said element, means for releasably retaining each member in normal position, and means adapted to be manually actuated for simultaneously releasing said means.

4. In a wire drawing machine, a wire drawing reel having a lower flange, an upper unobstructed margin and electro-magnetic means extending circumferentially of said upper margin for retaining the wire against unravelling.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN W. LAUREN. 

